Efficacy of Madhav Rasayan Plus as adjuvant in moderate COVID-19 patients: Preliminary outcomes of randomized controlled trial

Apart from all the gloominess, the COVID-19 Pandemic has a silver lining of bringing a renaissance as Ayurveda and integrated medicine are becoming a choice for acute as well as infective diseases. Here we report outcomes of a preliminary work, the randomized controlled trial (CTRI/2021/02/031256) of Madhav Rasayan Plus, an Ayurveda formulation as adjuvant in moderate COVID-19 patients. Madhav Rasayan Plus is a herbomineral formulation beneficial for respiratory, coagulative and other systemic complements of COVID-19. Forty patients with moderate COVID-19 disease were included in two parallel groups (n = 20/group). The Intervention group (Treatment) received Madhav Rasayan Plus tablets (250 mg) twice a day for 15 days, along with standard care (SOC), while the control group received SOC alone. The intervention group significantly improved symptoms of COVID-19 like cough, breathlessness, fatigue and gastric disturbances. There was also statistically significant reduction in inflammatory markers like CRP and Ferritin. Tissue level markers like creatinine phosphokinase and NT- Pro BNP were found restored after treatment. The requirement of supplemental oxygen in the control group (6 days) was reduced by 2.5 times compared to the intervention group (2.4 days). There was also reduced hospital stay and reduced requirement of ICU in comparison with the control group. Also, the indices of fatigue severity score, disturbed sleep cycle score and quality of life revealed better and holistic recovery in the intervention group. This study reveals that COVID-19 and such infective diseases with vital complications can be better dealt with integrated management as immunomodulation and protection of tissues and vital organs are strengths of Ayurveda.